'This is not a joke': Iceland condemns Trump’s post showing island under American flag

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 10, 2026

Iceland formally protested to the U.S. after President Trump shared a social media map showing Iceland and other countries covered by the American flag, which Iceland’s Foreign Minister called unacceptable. The move heightened diplomatic strains over U.S. territorial claims in the Arctic, with Denmark and Mexico also condemning the imagery as a threat to their sovereignty.

Iceland summoned the U.S. ambassador to express strong disapproval after President Donald Trump posted a map on social media depicting Iceland, along with several other countries, covered by the American flag. The image, shared on Trump’s platform Truth Social, showed the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean under the Stars and Stripes without any accompanying commentary.

Iceland’s Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir condemned the post as “completely unacceptable” and emphasized that the Nordic nation stands firmly with Greenland amid Trump’s previous threats to annex the self-governing Danish territory. Speaking at a news conference, Gunnarsdottir said, “It is absolutely clear that this is a fundamental principle. In my view, this is not a joke, and if it is meant to be a joke, it is a very poor one.” The island nation, with a population of around 400,000, reiterated its resolve not to soften its position on Greenland’s sovereignty.

The tweet came after a series of posts from Trump, including suggestions to rename the U.S. state of New Mexico as “New America.” The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump’s interest in Greenland has been widely reported, particularly his rationale related to American national security. Earlier this year, during a World Economic Forum event in Davos, Switzerland, Trump notably confused Greenland with Iceland in his remarks. Meanwhile, Iceland recently voted against resuming talks to join the European Union, putting domestic priorities such as fishing control ahead of geopolitical alignment.

Denmark and Mexico also voiced objections to Trump’s post. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the image “disturbing and, in many ways, completely inappropriate,” adding that it reflected a “maximalist vision” in the U.S. president’s mindset that needs to be curtailed. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated her country “is neither nor will be a colony or protectorate of any foreign country” and reaffirmed Mexico’s status as a “free, independent, and sovereign nation.”

The incident underscores persistent diplomatic tensions surrounding Trump’s territorial ambitions in the Arctic and broader concerns across affected nations about sovereignty and respect for international borders.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.